Undergarment



July 4, 1933. w. M. HASTINGS UNDERGARMENT Filed Nov. 16, 1931 4Sheets-Sheet 1 July 4, 1933. w. M. HASTINGS UNDERGARMENT Filed Nov. 16,1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 July 4, 1933. w, M. HASTINGS UNDERGARMENT 1931 4Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed NOV. 16

Jul 4, 1933. w. M. HASTINGS UNDERG ARME NT Filed Nov. 16, 19314Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented July 4, 1933 psi-ran STATES WALTER M. HASTINGS,OF LAWRENC'EQMASSACHUSETTS UNISERGARMENT Application filed November 16,1931. Serial No. 575,183.

This invention relates to improvements in undergarments, and theprincipal purpose of the invention is to provide a unlon su1t or similarnether garment which may be eco- 5 nomically manufactured of knitted orwoven textile material; which is easy to launder and comfortable towear, and which retains its shape and serviceability after long use;

' Among the more specific objects of the 1nvention are the provision ofa garment which may be formed of three fabric pieces including a bodypart having a tubular trunk por-' tion and depending skirt and legportions, and a pair of inset members joined to the front and sides ofthe. respective leg portion to provide separate garment legs; thearrangement of the skirt portion over 'a'relatively broad seat openingof the garment in the manner of a flap, so that the seat openlng isnormally covered thereby but is easily rendered accessible when thewearer assumes a sitting position; and the provision of a simple andeflicient form of fastener for a shoulder strap of the garment.

The improved garment is preferably made from tubular knitted materialwhich permits economies in manufacture and allows for snug fitting ofthe body portion without the necessity of buttoned openings or gussets.The finished-article is characterized by the absence of buttons Whichare frequently cracked or broken during laundering of the ordinary unionsuit, as well as by the elimination of overlapping folds or buttonedflaps which tend to become bunched and cause discomfort to the wearer;and the garment allows for free movement of the limbs without bindingand without straining the mate- A recommended embodiment of theinvention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front view of a piece of tubular 4.5 textile material fromwhich the body portion of the garment is cut;

Figs. 2 and 3 are front and rear views respectively of the material, cutin accordance with this invention;

Figs. 4, 5 and 6, are front, rear and side views respectively of thecompleted garment; Figs. 7 and 8 are fragmentary viewsto larger scaleshowing the front and back respectively of thelower portion of thegarment; e Figs. 9 and 10 are enlarged plan views of the insets used informing the garment legs;

Fig. 11 isa View similar to Fig. 8 with a part of the skirt portionbroken away; 7 Figs. 12 and 13 are sectional views taken on lines 12-12and 1313 of Fig. 11;

Fig. 14 is an enlarged section through a leg seam of the garment, takenin line 14-14 of Fig. 18; i

'ig. 15 is a further detail of a part of 5 Fig. 13; I

Fig. 16 shows a fastening for the shoulder straps of the garment;

Fig. 17 is a composite View illustrating the1 edge and face of thefastener element; so an Fig. 18 is a similar View of a modified fastenermember. p

- In the particularembodiment chosen for the purpose of illustration,the body portion '75 of the garmentis cut from a single tubular piece 20of knitted textile fabric, as along the broken lines 21 (Fig.1) toprovide a trunk part 22, front leg portions 23, a skirt portion 24 andshoulder straps 25. The skirt portion is preferably separated from theleg parts 23 by upwardlyextending slits 26; and the leg portions hangbelow the bottom edge of the flap 24. The front and rear parts of therespective shoulder straps may be connected by stitching 27, although atleast one of the straps preferably has separable parts con-. nected byfastening means 28 of the character hereinafter described.

The legs of the garment are preferably formed by providing a pair ofsimilar inset pieces 29 and 30 (Figs. 9 and 10) of the same material asthe body or trunk part 22 these pieces being connected to the front andside 5 margins respectively of the leg parts as at the seams 31 and 32.The slits 26 are also preferably closed by the seams 32, as indi-" catedat 33 (Figs. 7 and 8) so that both of the leg parts as Well as themargin of the 100 depending skirt are joined by common lines ofstitching (Fig. 14).

Each of the inset members 29 and 30 have free upper margins preferablycut on a curve, as shown at 34, to provide upwardly projecting pointsand 36, respectively. The rounded points 35 preferably overlap at thefront of the garment and are stitched to the body 22 at the juncture ofthe leg portions 23, so that the front opening between the garment legsis partially closed; whereas the rearward points 36 are widely spaced tofurnish a broad seat opening (Fig. 11) normally covered by the dependingskirt 24 which hangs below the upper margins 34 of the open-topped legs.It is apparent, however, that the skirt part may be quickly and easilyraised for the convenience of the wearer. The skirt resumes its normalposition whenever the wearer stands erect and maintains this positionduring use without the necessity of buttons, ties or other fastenings.

It is thus apparent that the improved union suit has its trunk waist andthighportions formed of three pieces of fabric including a body memberhaving a tubular trunk part and depending skirt and leg portions, and apair of inset members connected to the front and side edges of therespective leg portions to form separate garment legs which are open atthe top, thereby providing a broad seat opening which is normally closedby the overhanging skirt. A garment of this type is inexpensive tomanufacture, particularly when made of tubular material, unusuallycomfortable and convenient to the wearer, durable and shape-retaining inuse, and easy to launder because of theabsence of numerous buttons orclasps.

As above suggested, however, I have de vised an improved fasteningelement which is desirably employed to connect one or both of theshoulder straps 25 and which is unlikely to be damaged by laundering. Inthe form shown in Figs. 16 and 17, the fastening member comprises aterminal part 40 having an opening 41 to receive av tape 42 forattaching the fastener to one of the separable members of the shoulderstrap, a thin and narrow shank 43, and an arrow-shaped tip 44 adapted toengage a buttonhole or slit 45 of the other strap member. The arrow headtip provides rearwardly inclined hooks 46 which insure a securefastening, yet which permit easy removal when the tip is twisted to passthrough the slit 45. The fastener is preferably made of flat metal stockand the shank part is offset at 47 so that the overlapped ends 48 of thestrap fabric will lie substantially flat. In the modified constructionof Fig. 18,. the terminal part 49 is formed like a button so that it maybe sewed flatwise upon the fabric; whereas the tip 50 is substantiallythe same as in Figs. 16 and 17 l/Vhile a garment fashioned as hereindescribed is recommended in carrying out my invention, it will beunderstood that the materials employed and the details of constructionmay be varied to suit particular purposes without departing from theessence of the invention as defined in the appended claim.

I claim:

An undergarment comprising a tubular fabric out along longitudinallyextending lines to provide right and left leg portions anda rear skirtportion integral with and depending from the trunk portion, and a pairof insets joined to the inner edges of the respective leg portions andto the opposite sides of the skirt portion to provide the legs of thegarment, said insets having free concave upper edges corresponding endsof which terminate in upwardly directed portions which overlap at thefront of the garment and provide a fly opening, the intermediateportions of said free edges extending downwardly toward the lower end ofsaid skirt portion with their opposite ends extending outwardly towardsaid opposite sides of said skirt portion and curving upwardly towardthe rear to provide a broad seat opening in the rear of the garment,said skirt portion extending across the full width of the back andhaving its bottom edge terminating just below the free upper edges ofthe insets to cover the seat opening.

Signed by me at Lawrence, Mass, fourth day of November 1931. I

WALTER M. HASTINGS.

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